Ella Dawson - But How Are You Really

Trapped in a soul-crushing job under the thumb of tech media mogul Roger Ludermore and losing touch with her queer chosen family, Charlotte’s passion for drawing has completely fallen by the wayside. The last thing she wants to do is go back for a weekend to Hein University. But when her boss Roger is invited to give the commencement speech—which falls on the same weekend as her five-year reunion—Charlotte has no choice but to go. As soon as Charlotte arrives on campus, she is overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. Seeing her cruel, manipulative ex again, and then running into her rebound, the sensitive jock Reese whom she never really gave a chance, is a whirlwind. Reconnecting with the queer community she helped build on campus and the grief group that once was the backbone of her support network is life-giving. Suddenly, the weekend Charlotte has dreaded for months feels like an opportunity for a do-over: Reese is more mature and sexier than ever, and now reunited with her long-distance best friend Jackie, Charlotte feels invincible. But can she really avoid the truth about why she ghosted Reese five years ago, Roger’s incessant Slack messages, and Jackie’s questions about her mental health?

BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY is about the difficult yet liberating journey to self-acceptance—and the difference between growing up and being a grown-up. Fans of Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong and Ghosts by Dolly Alderton will be drawn to Dawson’s critical eye for the trials of adulthood, burnout culture, sexuality, and feminism. Like a college reunion, BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY is the sort of book you return to after a few years, just to smile and remember what’s possible.

Ella Dawson is an NYC-based sex and culture critic whose work has been published by Elle Magazine, Vox, and Women’s Health, among others. She was once internet famous for having herpes, but that’s a whole other story. Ella is proudly bisexual, very anxious, and aspires to adopt a kitten. Follow her on social media and on Patreon as @brosandprose.

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